2. Alternative Dining
What You'll Pay: While meals in the ship's main dining room and buffet venue are typically included in the cost, cruise lines have been adding numerous for-fee venues to their ships. You can pay anywhere from a few dollars for an ice cream cone at an onboard Ben & Jerry's or gelateria to $35 for a meal in a specialty dining venue or a whopping $75 for an exclusive Chef's Table experience.
Savings Tip: Don't go! You can typically find 24/7 dining for free onboard, and main dining room meals are often quite good with multiple courses and decadent desserts -- and there's always room service. If you're tempted by the specialty options, just be sure to budget the price of dinner into your onboard spending. Some lines, including NCL, occasionally offer early-bird two-for-one dining specials at their for-fee restaurants for passengers who are willing to eat at 5 p.m.
